The Circus comes to BiGYEC

On Wednesday 11th December, the BiGYEC welcomed Lauren Cowdrey and Rhys Williams from Greentop Circus, who came to talk about all the different elements of the circus business, including what being part of the circus involves and the process of how to get involved as a performer.

Greentop Circus is a school, charity and social enterprise which provides professional training, school workshops and events management for parties and special occasions. The circus has been running in the North of England for over twenty years, improving people’s lives and bringing about a positive social change. Being based in Sheffield, it is Yorkshire’s only fully equipped circus centre, with aerial rigs, stages and theatrical lighting and sound. It is the ideal place for performers of all ages and skill levels to learn and improve their techniques.

Both Lauren and Rhys provided our members with a great insight into the hard work and dedication that it takes to be a professional member of the circus. Rhys commented: “It’s not unusual for circus performers to get many bruises. The most professional performers very rarely make mistakes, but when they do, they have been known to break bones!

After the presentation, Lauren and Rhys offered to show BiG YEC members how to use and manipulate a range of equipment, from stilts to juggling balls to spinning tops. BiG YEC members took this opportunity to get involved, showing that they could be the next generation of professional circus performers. We have some very natural stilt walkers and some budding jugglers.

Lauren commented:

“I think that the BiG YEC is an absolutely fantastic opportunity! It’s really good to see young people getting involved in the community and in their future. Today they have been given the insight into how the circus industry works and how people involved in it.”